TWO ARRESTED IN MT LAUREL CARJACKING/SHOOTINGBUSINESSMAN SHOT ON TURNPIKE

Mt Laurel Township, Burlington County Two Richmond, Virginia men have been charged by State Police assigned to Troop ‘D’ on the Turnpike and Mt Laurel Township Police in connection with the carjacking and shooting of a local businessman on February 25, 2005.

Antoine D. Watts, age 24 from Richmond, Va and Michael D. Thompson, age 19, also from Richmond, were being held in the Henrico County Jail on local charges. Detainers from Burlington County have been filed, charging the pair with carjacking, attempted murder, kidnapping, armed robbery, aggravated assault and weapons offenses. Antoine Watts has also been charged with being in possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. Burlington County Superior Court Judge Marvin Schlosser has set bail at $500,000 each. They will be extradited to New Jersey when their Virginia charges have been resolved.

The incident began at approximately 7:50 p.m. on Fellowship Road in Mt Laurel when Lawrence Burns, age 62 of Voorhees, was approached by two men as he left his office and forced at gunpoint to drive north on the New Jersey Turnpike. Once on the Turnpike, Burns was ordered to turn over cash and credit cards, removed from his car and shot multiple times. The gunmen drove away and Burns’ car was later located abandoned in the parking lot of the James Cooper Service Plaza. Burns was able to walk to a nearby business and summon help. He is recovering from his wounds.

Detectives obtained a description of the suspects and a member of the State Police Composite Drawing Unit completed a drawing after meeting with the victim. The composites were sent to police departments along the I-95 corridor, and a detective with the Henrico County Sheriff’s Department recognized the pictures as resembling two individuals recently charged in a series of robberies and carjackings in Virginia. Detectives from the State Police and Mt Laurel traveled to Virginia where Watts and Thompson were interviewed and charged.